Cal 34-Iii Sailboats for Sale

Layouts on the Used Market

The Mark III belongs to the later Cal 34 generation, and its interior follows the more modern conventional layout seen in the Cal 3-34: galley aft to port, quarterberth and chart table to starboard, with a saloon settee to starboard and dinette to port. Both Cal 34 layouts share V-berths in the forward cabin and a head between the main cabin and forward cabin, though head layout differs between models. Later boats adopted an oiled teak interior rather than the original varnished mahogany plywood, which is lighter and brighter but harder to restore; mahogany blackens when exposed to salt water. Water capacity grew to 60 gallons on later boats, and the Cal 3-34 carried hot and cold pressure water with a shower as standard. Headroom on centerline in the main cabin is 6 feet 2 inches, and the boat uses its 33-foot-plus length to deliver as much interior space as older boats 3 feet or more longer.

Equipment and Common Upgrades

On the used market, a spinnaker is commonly fitted to Cal 34 Mark III boats, consistent with the masthead sloop rig's documented sail inventory. Items often seen on these boats include hot water, bimini, radar, AIS, autopilot, chartplotter, and short-handed setups, reflecting typical cruising modernization rather than factory specification alone. Wheel steering is standard in the 3-34 version built in 1976 and later, so Mark III boats will generally have it from the factory; on earlier longer-boom Cal 34s, installing wheel steering was one of the most common modifications and required relocating the mainsheet. The engine is under the cockpit driven through a V-drive, originally an Atomic Four gas engine with mid-1970s diesels such as Farymann, Westerbeke, and Perkins appearing in the line.

What to Inspect

A number of owners report that the main bulkhead tends to delaminate due to leaking chainplates, and since this is potentially a serious structural problem any Cal 34 should be carefully surveyed for leakage in this area; several owners also report chainplate failure due to metal fatigue. Check the deck around the mast step and the fiberglass keel molding, and tap the keel molding with a mallet so it should not ring hollow when tapped, which would indicate a loose ballast casting from a hard grounding. Crazing is very common on the deck gelcoat, the distinctive blue Cal sheerstrake is likely badly faded unless painted, and older boats had gate valves rather than seacocks on through hull fittings which should be replaced. The lack of backing plates on stanchions can cause localized deck crazing, and leaking aluminum-framed cabin ports are a known issue. Some owners report sloppy rudders from wear of the fiberglass tube serving as stuffing box and bearing, and owners recommend larger cockpit scuppers because the two small stock scuppers are inadequate for the big cockpit.

Availability and Buyer's Takeaway

Cal 34 Mark III boats are found in the United States market. For a buyer, the checklist is straightforward: survey the main bulkhead and chainplates for leakage and delamination; confirm keel molding is solid when tapped; replace gate valves with seacocks; inspect deck gelcoat crazing and fading sheerstrake; verify rudder tube wear and cockpit scupper capacity; and avoid Farymann diesels where parts are unavailable. The Mark III rewards the careful shopper with a balanced, spacious late-generation Lapworth cruiser.